Tag: flannel

Storytime: City Life

Posted on by msemilylibrary

I am still reusing, revamping, and retooling storytime themes that I first presented at a previous library. I do have a slightly different age group (skewing younger) and my outlines tend to have more extension activities and fewer books, so none have been exactly the same as what came before.

I opened up our “fall” season (August – December) with sessions on City Life and Country Life. There are great books concentrating on both, and I’d noticed some newer and different titles that my old library didn’t have. I also still do a virtual program – “Storytime Shorts” that highlights three extension activities, three books, a craft idea, and an early literacy tip. A previous episode was on transportation and used three of my go-to city rhymes and songs. To offer three fresh ones, I was inspired to write a new rhyme about taxi cabs, patterned after Pat-a-Cake. It isn’t something that comes naturally to me, but it was fun to play around with the words and rhythm and rhyme to find a poem that flows. And it worked well in practice! That was exciting to see the kids giggling while we “roll… and STOP!”

Early Literacy Tip: Rhymes like The Hippopotamus on the City Bus call attention to the fact that “hip” is just one part of the bigger word “hippopotamus.” Also, when we complete the verses for cow, sheep, and snake, we show how familiar animal sounds can be found in other words that we regularly use. Recognizing and playing with the smaller sounds in words is called phonological awareness. Researchers have recognized this as a critical pre-reading skill that helps kids sound out words when they begin to learn how to read.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT)
This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. This week it was elbows & cheeks.

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (TB) (FT)

Intro: This week and next week, we’ll be talking about city life and country life. Some of us might know what that’s like, but I live in a place that’s kind of in between a big city and the country, and you might, too. Our town is very solidly “suburban.”

Rhythm Rhyme: Hippopotamus on a City Bus (TT) (TB) (FT)
(slap thighs rhythmically until the last line of each verse)
A hip, a hip, a hippopotamus
Got on, got on, got on a city bus
And all, and all, and all the people said,
“You’re squishing us!” (squish face or hug baby)

Additional verses:
A cow, a cow, a cow got on a bus
Yes, a cow, a cow, a cow got on the bus
And all, and all, and all the people said,“Mooooove over!”
(lean far to one side)
A snake…“Sssssssssit down!” (motion hand down)
A sheep…“Baaaack up!” (lean far back)
Source: Jbrary

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)

The text on this one is super simple, and the illustrations really give a lot to look at and talk about. I didn’t show every page, but it is an easy one to skip around.
Read: Wow! City! by Robert Neubecker (TT)

I probably should have done Wow! City! for the Family Time group – they lost interest about halfway through, but they were a younger group.
Read: Noisy Night by Mac Barnett & Brian Biggs (TB) (FT)

What shapes are these? Black rectangle, green circle, yellow circle, red circle – it’s a stoplight! There are stoplights everywhere, but there are LOTS in a city where there are many vehicles and traffic.
Flannel Rhyme: Green Means Go (TT)
Green means “GO!” Go! Go! Go! (roll arms quickly)
Yellow means “Slow.” Slow… slow… slow. (roll arms slowly)
Red means “STOP!” (ASL sign for stop: one hand making a chopping motion onto flat opposite hand)
Go! Go! Go! (roll fast)
Slow… slow… slow… (roll slow)
STOP! (ASL sign for stop)
Source: Jbrary

For Toddler Time, I did this song after Cranes Reach Up, but for the other two sessions, it followed directly after the Noisy Night book. Where do people live in the city? Many live in tall apartment buildings. Have you been in a tall building and taken a ride in an elevator?
Lifting Song: The Elevator Song (TT) (TB) (FT)
Oh, the city is great and the city is grand
There are a whole lot of people on a little piece of land
And we live way up on the fifty-seventh floor
And this is what we do when we go out the door:
We take the elevator up, we take the elevator down
We take the elevator up, we take the elevator down
We take the elevator up, we take the elevator down
And we turn around!
Source: Jbrary

Here’s the new one! We break out of the clap and pat to roll and STOP in traffic for a bit – really vary the length of time to roll for the most fun. Then we return to pat and clap when we reach our sightseeing destination and yell out that “TAXI!” at the end.
If you go visit a city, you might use a taxi cab to get around.
Action Rhyme: Taxi Cab (TT) (TB) (FT)
(in the style of Pat-a-Cake)
Taxi cab, taxi cab driving day and night (pat and clap)
We’ll visit the city and see all the sights!
We’ll roll… (roll arms)
And we’ll STOP! (two hands up)
(repeat a couple of times, varying how long you “roll”)
We’ll get out and look around (return to pat and clap)
We’ll hail another cab and be homeward bound – TAXI! (lift arm)
Source: original

In the city, it’s very busy, and the city is always growing and changing. Sometimes old buildings are torn down and new buildings are constructed. Here’s a stretch about the tall, tall crane that helps build them!
Stretch Rhyme: Cranes Reach Up (TT) (TB) (FT)
Cranes reach up
Cranes reach down
Cranes reach out
And all around
Source: Jbrary

One more construction rhyme.
Action Rhyme: Here is a Steam Shovel (TB)
Here is a steam shovel (Forearm erect, hand drooping)
And here is the ground (two arms enclose area)
See the great boom (forearm moving side to side)
Swing round and round
It dips, it bites, (forearms dips, thumb and fingers grasping)
It lifts, it throws (forearm lifts, thumb and fingers spin)
My, how the hole in the ground grows! (hands make circle)
Digging, scooping, (mime)
Lifting, throwing,
See how the hill (peak hands)
Beside it is growing
Source: Jen in the Library

No matter where you live, everyone likes to go outside and play. Even though cities can be full of buildings and streets, they also have public parks where people can go to enjoy some nature. Let’s sing a song about playing outside.
Ukulele Song: Mr. Sun (TT) (TB) (FT)
Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Please shine down on me
Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Hiding behind a tree

These little children are asking you
To please come out so we can play with you

Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Please shine down on me
Source: Raffi (from the album Singable Songs for the Very Young)

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Mr. Sun” here!

thumbnail of Mr. Sun ukulele songsheet

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Craft: Cityscape (TB) (FT)
Draw a city with white chalk on black construction paper, then decorate with vehicle foam stickers. I used ALL my stickers on mine!
Source: Sunflower Storytime

Play Time
The toddlers have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
City Shapes – Diana Murray & Bryan Collier
Go! Go! Go! Stop! – Charise Mericle Harper
City Moon – Rachael Cole & Blanca Gómez
Windows – Julia Denos & EB Goodale
Cityscape – April Pulley Sayre
My City Speaks – Darren Lebeuf & Ashley Barron
If You Were a City – Kyo Maclear & Francesca Sanna
City Baby – Laurie Elmquist & Ashley Barron
Maisy Goes to the City – Lucy Cousins
Hot City – Barbara Joosse & Gregory Christie

This storytime was presented in-person on 8/7, 8/8, & 8/9/23.

Storytime Handout:

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: Let’s Picnic

Posted on by msemilylibrary

One last May storytime to blog!

Going on a Picnic was actually my very first theme for storytimes I did on my own in a brand new position at a new library. I wasn’t blogging at that time, of course. I revisited it last month, updating some of the activities.

Early Literacy Tip: Singing games where we do motions as a group (like “Picnic in the Park”) encourage social responsiveness. These activities also help your child learn to feel comfortable in a group setting. When your child begins school, such positive associations will help them adjust to being part of a class.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT)
This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. This week it was knees and fingers.

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (FT)

Intro: As we get closer to summertime, I start thinking about some of the fun things we can do outside. One of those is to have a picnic! A picnic is a meal you eat outside. You might do other things like fly a kite, play ball, even take a nap!

I had a bag of flannel picnic pieces that I made a couple years ago for Five Hungry Ants (below), and Raffi’s song, Going on a Picnic, both of which mention certain foods. I think I added a couple of other items to fill it out. After the first session, I learned to do groups of things, not individual pieces for each verse! “Let’s pack some fruits and vegetables! How about dessert?” It just shortened the song to fit my audience’s attention span. The foods stayed up while we read our book, then the ants came!
Rhythm Rhyme: Pack a Lunch (TT) (TB) (FT)
(slap knees in rhythm to the rhyme)
Going on a picnic
Gotta pack a lunch
What should we bring to
Munch, munch, munch?
Let’s bring….
(how many picnic items can you think of?)

Optional last verse:
Ready for a picnic,
Ready with a lunch,
Now we’re ready to
munch, munch, munch!
Source: King County (WA) Library System

Felt board with various picnic foods, including a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, slice of watermelon, red apple, bowl of salad with carrots and tomatoes, glass of lemonade, slice of cake on a plate, chocolate chip cookie, and salt and pepper shakers.

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)

This one was okay. I’m not a huge fan of the Mouse books, but it did feature things I was going to talk about like watermelon and ants.
Read: Mouse’s First Summer by Lauren Thompson & Buket Erdogan (TT)

mouse's first summer book cover

This is such a funny and silly book, but also takes a little explaining for the littlest ones to get what’s going on. The adults were chuckling and smiling the whole way through, though, and even the littles seemed to really like the pictures.
Read: Pignic by Matt Phelan (TB) (FT)

Pignic book cover

For time, I only added four ants. It’s not a bad idea to start your counting songs and rhymes at numbers other than five on occasion. I believe the original source said she tosses the ants behind her after the big sneeze, and that has always gotten a lot of giggles for me. 🙂
We packed our lunch, and now it’s time to eat it! But we’re not the only ones who are hungry. Look who is coming to our picnic!
Counting Rhyme: Five Hungry Ants (TB) (FT)
Five hungry ants, marching in a line
They come upon a picnic, where they could dine
They marched into the salad
They marched into the cake
They marched into the pepper
Oh-uh! That was a mistake! AH-CHOOOOOO! (remove an ant!)
Four hungry ants…
(Continue to count down)
Source: Miss Mary Liberry blog

Same felt board as above, but with five black ants with small googly eyes and pipe cleaner antennae added to the top.

I modified the fruit just slightly from the Jbrary version, but it might be fun to brainstorm fruits and fit them into the structure of the song with your group (probably better with an older group).
Oh, good, the ants are gone! Let’s dig in. One thing that’s tasty at a picnic is a fruit salad!
Action Song: Fruit Salad (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Watermelon, watermelon (big circle with hands)
Strawberry, strawberry (chop with hands on each syllable)
Ba-a-a-a-nana, Ba-a-a-a-nana, (swing arms down, rocking)
Fruit salad, fruit salad! (dance it out!)

Pomegranate, pomegranate (pinch fingers)
Clementine, clementine (hold hands together then open)
Pi-i-i-i-neapple, pi-i-i-i-neapple (peak fingers & move around)
Fruit salad, fruit salad! (dance it out!)
Source: Jbrary

A good one to have in the back pocket, but I didn’t end up using it for time reasons. In the past, I encourage the room to really hit the “Boom Boom Boom” hard – A) because it’s fun and B) because at that point in the song I need a big breath!
Oh, no! The ants are back!
Song: The Ants Go Marching
The ants go marching one by one, hurrah! Hurrah!
The ants go marching one by one, hurrah! Hurrah!
The ants go marching one by one,
The little one stops to suck his thumb,
And they all go marching down, to the ground, to get out of the rain.
Boom, Boom, Boom!
(count up)
…two by two, tie his shoe…three by three, climb a tree…four by four, shut the door…five by five, take a dive
Source: traditional

I pretty much did as Michael Rosen does in this video, but encouraged the group to repeat the first four lines as call and response. Once again, as my sessions continued, I shortened to fit our attention. Three obstacles (grass, river, and mud) plus the cave seemed just about right. You can download my reminder sheet here. When we found the bear, I put on my Folkmanis baby bear puppet, which they loved!
It can be fun to play some games when you are on a picnic. Can we pretend to go hunting for a bear?
Retelling/Chant: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen & Helen Oxenbury (TT) (TB) (FT)
We’re going on a bear hunt (We’re going on a bear hunt)
We’re gonna catch a big one! (We’re gonna catch a big one!)
What a beautiful day! (What a beautiful day!)
We’re not scared! (We’re not scared!)
Oh, no! GRASS – Long, wavy grass
We can’t go OVER it, We can’t go UNDER it
We have to go THROUGH it
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
Repeat, going through a River, Mud, a Forest, s Storm, a Cave, finding the bear, and then running back through everything to home.
Source: traditional, as performed by Michael Rosen

I saw the first verse on a library blog, and decided to write some more verses to give the whole story of a day at a picnic. It was fun to come up with the rhymes, and figure out some action to go with each one just like She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain.
Ukulele/Action Song: Picnic in the Park (TB) (FT)
(tune of She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain)
Oh, we’ll all go on a picnic in the park (let’s go!) (come here motion)
Oh, we’ll all go on a picnic in the park (let’s go!)
Bring some lunch and bring a ball,
There’ll be so much fun for all
Yes, we’ll all go on a picnic in the park (let’s go!)

Oh, we’ll eat some chips and sandwiches outside (yum, yum)… (rub tummy)
Fruit salad and lemonade
Taste so good out in the shade…

We’ll play a game of tag or hide and seek (ready or not!)… (cup hands around mouth)
Run around, lickety split
I’ll tag you and then you’re it…

Oh, the sky is getting darker, will it rain? (drip drop)… (wiggle fingers down)
Thunder rumbles, then grumbles more
Pack our stuff before it pours…

(slowly)
I’m glad we had a picnic in the park (yawn)… (cover mouth)
We ran around and ate our lunch
Had some fun, all right a bunch…
Source: verse one by Rhyming Reasor (found on the picture of the handout, not in the text of the blog post),
remaining verses are original

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Picnic in the Park” here!

thumbnail for picnic in the park songsheet

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Craft: Watermelon on a Stick (TB) (FT)
I made a point of letting them know that watermelon is one of my favorite fruits when we added it to the felt board. (Purportedly my word for it as a toddler was “Oh, Boy” since that’s what everybody said when it came out!) So our craft this week was to make paper plate watermelon slices on a stick! Color the plate, fold, and staple (hint – most staplers will staple through a craft stick!) Add some seed shapes and you’re done!

Picture of watermelon craft - paper plate colored pink in the middle and green around the edge, folded in half and stapled to a large craft stick. Black paper seeds are glued on.

Play Time
The toddlers have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Truck, Truck, Goose! – Tammi Sauer & Zoe Waring
This Is the Way a Baby Rides – Susan Meyers & Hiroe Nakata
Pie Is for Sharing – Stephanie Parsley Ledyard & Jason Chin
Max and Marla Are Having a Picnic – Alexandra Boiger
Click, Clack, Quackity-Quack – Doreen Cronin & Betsy Lewin
The Watermelon Seed – Greg Pizzoli
In Our Backyard Garden – Eileen Spinelli & Marcy Ramsey
I Really Want a Bigger Piece! – Harriet Ziefert & Travis Foster
Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! – Bob Barner

This storytime was presented in-person on 5/15, 5/16, & 5/17/23.

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: Earth Day

Posted on by msemilylibrary

An environmentally-minded storytime for Earth Day or any day! We talked about littering, recycling, planting trees, and using gas-free transportation options – not bad for thirty minutes and a room full of two-year-olds.

Early Literacy Tip: Your recycling bin can become a craft store! Looking for different uses for ordinary items encourages creativity and inventiveness, skills that help children be ready to learn. You may be surprised at the different things that can be made from (clean) plastic containers, cardboard tubes, and other recyclable materials. Your child thrives on your encouragement, but let them be creative and decide what to do with the materials.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT)
This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. This week it was arms and chins.

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (FT)

Intro: Saturday, April 22 is Earth Day! That’s a day when we celebrate the amazing place our planet is, and we work to clean up the Earth’s air, water, protect plants and animals, and make the earth a great place to live for generations to come. Here’s a poem by Kelly Roper about what we can do for Earth Day.

After reading this the first time, it felt a little preachy and kind of boring (no motions to do, etc). I decided to skip it for my other sessions.
Poem: In Celebration of Earth Day (TT)
In celebration of Earth Day, Why not plant a tree?
It will produce fresh air, And be a joy for all to see.
In celebration of Earth Day, Go and visit a local park.
Get back in touch with nature,
Its sights and sounds in light and dark.
In celebration of Earth Day Try to be more aware,
Of how your actions affect this world
And devote yourself to its care
Source: by Kelly Roper, via Stratford (CT) Library

Something that a lot of people do to celebrate Earth Day is planting trees. Let’s do that with this rhyme.
Action Rhyme: Be a Seed (TT) (TB) (FT)
Be a seed, small and round (make a fist)
Sprout, sprout, sprout up from the ground (open fingers)
Shake your leaves for all to see (shake hands and body)
Stretch your arms up, you’re a tree! (raise arms high)
Source: Jbrary

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)

I really loved this book, and it was pretty perfect for this age group – though I do have a few caveats. I skipped a couple pages both to shorten it and also… I wished the page about eating less meat featured a plate full of vegetables instead of a barnyard scene. C’mon. I also skipped the “Looking after our backyards” page. I don’t know, I could see how that can be environmentally friendly, but there’s also people who “look after their backyards” by applying lots of chemicals and planting non-native plants and so on. The wording could have been more precise, I think. Nevertheless, I did end up using this book for all three sessions!
Read: Change Starts With Us by Sophie Beer (TT) (TB) (FT)

book cover for change starts with us

This ended up being a backup book that I didn’t use. It does have beautiful pictures and may be inspirational to keeping the Earth clean and beautiful, but since it wasn’t explicitly about being a good steward of the Earth, it didn’t fit quite as well when I only read one book.
Read: Thank You, Earth by April Pulley Sayre

book cover for thank you earth

Bounce: Bumping Up and Down (TT) (TB) (FT)
Bumping up and down in my little red wagon (bounce)
Bumping up and down in my little red wagon
Bumping up and down in my little red wagon
Won’t you be my darlin’? (lift or tilt)
One wheel’s off and the axle’s broken… (bounce then lean)
(what else can you use to get around without a car? A green bicycle, a blue scooter, your pink sneakers?)
Source: adapted from the traditional

This one was fun. I had made a “recycling bin” from a blue ILL bin and just printed the recycling symbol to tape on the sides. I used it both for this and the “Picking Up Litter” song. The kids loved when I took each bottle and gulped it down. We also talked a little about colors, flavors, and sizes. I used permanent markers to color the labels.
Flannel/Counting Song: Five Bottles of Juice (TT) (TB) (FT)
Five bottles of juice on the wall
Five bottles of juice… Glug, glug, glug!
Put one in the recycling bin
Four bottles of juice on the wall!
(count down)
Source: Jen in the Library

Flannel pieces with five differently-shaped bottles of varying sizes. the first has a picture of a carrot on the label, the second a grape, the third an apple, the fourth an orange, and the fifth a pineapple. The bottle labels match the colors of the fruit and the lids match the labels.

I wasn’t exactly sure how this one would go, but it was a hit. When I started pulling crumpled up paper out of my bag and tossing it on the floor, eyes got wide! The most difficult part for me was remembering the rhyme while walking around and tossing enough trash that everyone would be able to grab some.
Song: Litter Bug (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Itsy Bitsy Spider)
Once there was a litter bug
Who went from town to town
Throwing out his garbage
That landed on the ground
The garbage grew so high
That when he turned around
The litter bug got buried
And could not make a sound! EEK!
Source: Yogibrarian

They LOVED getting to pick up all the trash and put it in the recycling bin. We repeated the song until it was all picked up.
Song: Picking Up Litter (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Paw Paw Patch)
Picking up litter and putting it in the bin
Picking up litter and putting it in the bin
Picking up litter and putting it in the bin
Way down yonder, at the library!
Source: Yogibrarian

a canvas tote bag sits next to a blue recycling bin with a white recycling symbol visible on the side. Crumpled up white paper can be seen inside both.

It’s always great to end with a ukulele song, especially one that has a very familiar and repetitive tune that grownups pretty much know. I have an inflatable ball with a realistic Earth printed on it and I encouraged kids to pass it around to each other. Before they started I asked grownups to help it move along. We only had one instance where it got thrown, so I call that a win.
Song: We’ve Got the Whole World (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of He’s Got the Whole World)
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands
We’ve got the whole world in our hands

We’ve got the rivers and the oceans, in our hands…
We’ve got the air all around us, in our hands…
Be kind to plants and animals – in our land…
We’ve got to work together to clean the Earth…
Source: adapted from King County (WA) Library System and DARIA

inflatable beach ball with the earth printed on it. The earth has clouds and the land varies from green to brown. It looks like the Earth from space.

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “We’ve Got the Whole World” here!

Thumbnail for ukulele songsheet

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Craft: Coffee Filter Earth (TB) (FT)
This was a little more involved than my usual crafts, but I think they enjoyed it. We started by using washable markers and coloring a coffee filter blue and green. Then they came up to me, where together we sprayed the filter with water on a plastic messy tray. Then they hung up their filter on yarn I’d strung up to dry. They could then go back and make stars on their black construction paper. We played and did our goodbye songs, and they could glue down their Earth if it was dry at that time.

Craft showing a blurry blue and green earth glued to a piece of black construction paper. White chalk stars were drawn around the earth.

Play Time
The toddlers have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
The Earth Book – Todd Parr
My Friend Earth – Patricia MacLachlan & Francesca Sanna
Stand Up! Speak Up! – Andrew Joyner
We Are Water Protectors – Carole Lindstrom & Michaela Goade
Milk and Juice – Meredith Crandall Brown
Sea Bear: A Journey for Survival – Lindsay Moore
What a Wonderful World – Bob Thiele, George David Weiss & Tim Hopgood
The Old Boat – Jarrett Pumphrey & Jerome Pumphrey
Lights Out – Marsha Diane Arnold & Susan Reagan

This storytime was presented in-person on 4/17, 4/18, & 4/19/23.

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: Trains

Posted on by msemilylibrary

From the Little Engine to the Little Caboose, trains are a storytime hit. I learned a couple of new-to-me songs in prepping for this week’s storytime, and boy, are they catchy! Be prepared to chugga-chugga and whoo-whoo all the way through your program.

Early Literacy Tip: Toddlers love playing word games — repeating rhymes, singing songs and reciting chants. Rhyming words, even if they are nonsense, help them understand that language is made up of strings and patterns of phonemes, or individual sounds. Being able to hear these in oral language develops skills that help reading written language later.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT)
This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. This week it was elbows and cheeks.

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (FT)

Intro: Chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga, CHOO CHOO! The storytime train is pulling into the station! It’s time to celebrate trains!

I bought a wooden train whistle just for this rhyme, and everyone got excited when I gave it a toot – kids and adults alike! It actually was the inspiration for our craft today.
Action Rhyme: Choo Choo Train (TT) (TB) (FT)
Here’s a little choo choo train chugging down the track (chug arms)
Now it’s going forward (chug forward)
Now it’s going back (chug backwards)
Hear the bell ringing (ring a bell), Now the whistle blows (woo!)
What a lot of noise it makes everywhere it goes!
Source: Adventures of a Bookworm

Tickle Rhyme: Down the Track (TT) (FT)
Chugga-chugga Chugga-chugga, Choo-choo!
The train runs down the track (walk fingers up one arm)
Chugga-chugga Chugga-chugga, Choo-choo!
And then it runs right back (walk fingers down)
Source: King County (WA) Library System

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Numbers, senses, noises, scenery – there’s a lot packed into this simple book.
Read: Chugga Chugga Choo Choo by Emma Garcia (TT) (FT)

book cover for chugga chugga choo choo

This one is very visually appealing, but there are times that the rhyme scheme changes or is a little awkward, so be sure to practice ahead of time. I lean in to the hissing and ask the kids to help me.
Read: Snakes on a Train by Kathryn Dennis (TB)

book cover for snakes on a train

I modified this one slightly to match the train cars from Donald Crews’ Freight Train. I found these beautiful printables from kizclub.com and printed and laminated them for this flannelboard. Of course, it’s super long so it’s hard to take a picture. In my program I ended up just making two parallel lines.
Flannel/Counting Rhyme: Clickety Clack
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
Here comes the train on the railroad track!
Clickety-clunn, clickety-clunn, Here comes ENGINE number 1
Clickety-clew, clickety-clew, Here is COAL CAR number 2
Clickety-clee, clickety-clee, Here is BOX CAR number 3
Clickety-clore, clickety-clore, GONDOLA CAR is number 4
Clickety-clive, clickety-clive, Here comes CATTLE CAR number 5
Clickety-clicks, clickety-clicks, HOPPER CAR is number 6
Clickety-cleven, clickety-cleven, Here’s TANK CAR number 7
Clickety-clate, clickety-clate, Little red CABOOSE is number 8!
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
There goes the train on the railroad track! Choo-choo! Goodbye!
Source: Storytime Katie

Picture of printed and laminated train flannelboard pieces: Black engine and black coal car, purple boxcar, blue gondola car, green cattle car, yellow hopper, orange tank car, and red caboose

This one actually messed me up – after singing it, I could not get the tune of “Wheels on the Bus” in my head. This happens to me on occasion, where a tune just completely escapes me. Sigh. In any event, this is a really cute song, and I was glad to learn it.
Song: The Little Red Train Going Down the Track (TT)
There’s a little red train going down the track
Look at the wheels go clickety clack

Chorus: And the train wheels are rolling, rolling, rolling, rolling
And the train wheels are rolling, rolling right along

There’s an engine in the front and a caboose in the back
Look at those wheels go clickety clack… (chorus)

The little train goes to the top of the hill,
It goes very slow but it gets there still
It gets to the top and it goes back down
Look at the wheels go around and around (chorus)
Source: Kathy Reid-Naiman via Jbrary

After having trouble the first session with the “Little Red Train” song, I skipped it for the last two sessions and I was able to recall the Wheels on the Bus tune. Whew. Those groups really enjoyed the motions on this one.
Song: The Wheels on the Train (TB) (FT)
The wheels on the train go clickety-clack,
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack
The wheels on the train go clickety-clack,
All along the track

The whistle on the train goes toot, toot, toot…
The conductor on the train says, “All aboard!”…
The people on the train go bounce, bounce, bounce…
The engine on the train goes chug, chug, chug…
Source: Jen in the Library

I remember this one from my childhood, though we didn’t count down then, just sang it with one peanut. For some extra silliness, blow a raspberry after singing “peanut butter.” The video below isn’t the tune I remember, though, it’s more like this one.
Fingerplay: Three Peanuts (TB) (FT)
Three peanuts sat on a railorad track (hold up three fingers)
Their hearts were all a-flutter (flutter hand on chest)
Around the bend came Number 10 (make wide around motion)
Whoo-whooo (pull train whistle cord), Peanut Butter!
(count down)
Source: King County (WA) Library System

This is a barnstormer of a song – it goes fast but is so much fun.
Song: Little Red Caboose (TT) (TB) (FT)
Little red caboose chug, chug, chug,
Little red caboose chug, chug, chug,
Little red caboose behind the train, train, train, train
Smokestack on its back, back, back, back
Coming down the track, track, track, track
Little red caboose behind the train, Woo-woo!

Little red caboose chug, chug, chug
Little red caboose chug, chug, chug,
Little red caboose behind the train, train, train, train
Always at the end, end, end, end
Comin’ round the bend, bend, bend, bend
Little red caboose behind the train, Woo-woo!

Always on time, time, time, time
Comin’ down the line, line, line, line
Little red caboose behind the train, train, train
Never running late, late, late, late
Comin’ through the gate, gate, gate, gate
Little red caboose behind the train, Woo-woo!
Source: Lindsay Munroe

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Little Red Caboose” here!

thumbnail for ukulele songsheet

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Craft: Cardboard Train Whistle
I couldn’t flaunt my train whistle without letting the kids make one of their own! Essentially, we made a simple kazoo using a toilet paper tube, wax paper, and a rubber band. The instructions call for making a small hole somewhere along the exposed edge (i.e. not under the wax paper) which I pre-made. I also pre-cut circles of wax paper. I provided dot markers for decoration, but any paint or markers would work. I tried drawing a train on mine – it was not super successful. An all-over design would likely work better! Lastly, it can be tricky to “play” a kazoo – you can’t blow into it, you have to hum, so we practiced a little when they were done making theirs.

Picture of cardboard tube kazoo, with a circle of waxed paper attached to the top with a rubber band, and a crude picture of a red train engine painted on the side.

Play Time
The toddlers have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Mr. Complain Takes the Train – Wade Bradford & S. britt
Freight Train – Donald Crews
Listen Up! Train Song – Victoria Allenby
And the Train Goes… – William Bee
I Like Trains – Daisy Hirst
I Can Make a Train Noise – Michael Emberley & Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
How to Train a Train – Jason Carter Eaton & John Rocco
Choo-Choo School – Amy Krouse Rosenthal & Mike Yamada
I’m Fast! – Kate & Jim McMullan

This storytime was presented in-person on 4/3, 4/4, & 4/5/23.

Storytime Handout:

storytime handout with suggested books, rhyme, and song lyrics.

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: Pizza

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Sometimes I look back through themes I did at my old library. Sometimes they make me hungry! Here’s another in-person redo of a theme I only ever did virtually before.

Our program happened to land on Pi Day (and the day before and after) entirely accidentally. What a perfect tie-in!

Early Literacy Tip: Play gives you and your children lots of opportunities to pretend. As you are playing with your children, make a point of adding in a word or two they may not know, like “kneading” dough or “ladling” sauce. Children will find it easier to remember these words because they are hearing them and using them while being involved in imaginative play.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT)
This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. This week it was shoulders and fingers.

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (FT)

Intro: There’s a really important holiday in March, does anyone know what it is? It’s Pi Day! You’ll learn more about Pi the number someday, but today we’re celebrating the very best pie of all, the pizza pie! [this got laughs from the grownups]

I adapted this one to be a little more specific to pizza.
Action Song: I Am Hungry
(tune of Frère Jacques)
I am hungry, I am hungry
Grumble, rumble, Grumble rumble (rub tummy)
I think I’ll eat some pizza, I think I’ll eat some pizza
Yum, yum, yum! Yum, yum, yum! (mime eating)
Source: librionyian

Fingerplay: Pat A Cake Pizza Man
Pat a cake, pat a cake, pizza man
Make me a pizza as fast as you can
Roll it, Toss it, and sprinkle it with cheese
Put in the oven And bake it fast please!
Source: Mansfield/Richland County Public Library (OH)

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Not everyone acted out everything, but there was lots of kneading the dough and sprinkling of pretend cheese!
Read: Pete’s a Pizza by William Steig (TT) (FT)

Pete's a Pizza book cover

This one didn’t go over as well, perhaps the group was too distracted to really connect the pictures with the very simple text.
Read: Pizza Party! by Grace Maccarone & Emily Arnold McCully (TB)

Pizza Party book cover

Tickle: Pizza Pickle Pumpernickel (TT)
Pizza, pickle, pumpernickel, (bounce)
My little one shall have a tickle! (tickle)
One for your nose, And one for your toes,
And one for your tummy, where the pizza goes!
Source: King County (WA) Library System

I get that the writer of this rhyme didn’t want to repeat colors, but that means we leave out the most popular topping (red pepperoni) and the cheese is orange, which looks a little odd. I think next time I might redo the cheese as white, and make a couple more blobs of it. At first I was kind of dreading making tons and tons of little topping pieces, but realized that I really only need 3 or 4 of each to make the pizza look full, even if that would be terrible coverage on an actual pizza!
Rhyme: Pizza, Pizza, What Do You See? (TT) (FT)
Pizza dough, Pizza dough what do you see?
I see red sauce covering me
Red sauce, Red sauce, what do you see?
I see white mushrooms being added to me
continue with different colored ingredients, such as black olives, brown sausage, green peppers, purple onions, yellow pineapple, red pepperoni, and end with orange white cheese, then:
Orange cheese, orange cheese, what do you see?
I see a yummy pizza that looks good to me.
Yummy pizza, yummy pizza what do you see?
I see hungry children THAT ARE GOING TO EAT ME!
Source: King County (WA) Library System

Flannel pizza with different colored toppings (as mentioned in the lyrics)

Action Rhyme: Pizza Maker, Pizza Maker Turn Around (TT) (TB) (FT)
Pizza maker, pizza maker turn around
Pizza maker, pizza maker touch the ground
Pizza maker, pizza maker give the dough a toss
Pizza maker, pizza maker ladle on the sauce
Pizza maker, pizza maker sprinkle on the cheese
Pizza maker, pizza maker touch your knees
Pizza maker, pizza maker put it in the oven
Pizza maker, pizza maker press the oven button
Pizza maker, pizza maker rub your tummy
Pizza maker, pizza maker eat some pizza! Yummy!
Source: Jen in the Library

Rhythm Sticks Intro: Let’s practice our rhythm sticks. Rest them on our shoulders, tap fast and loud, soft and quiet, rub them together, roll them in a circle (TB)

This is a good warmup for rhythm sticks and gets everyone involved.
Rhythm Stick Song: Count the Beat (TB)
(tune of Wheels on the Bus)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10
8 9 10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8… 9… 10!
Source: Sarah French

There are lots of versions of this on YouTube. I especially liked how she went on a walk and saw a cat, dog, bee, and alligator!
Rhythm Sticks Song: The Pizza Song (TB) (FT)
(tune of Skip to My Lou)
Roll, roll, roll the dough,
Roll, roll, roll the dough
Roll, roll, roll the dough,
Roll the dough together! (put both sticks on the ground and roll)

Stir, stir, stir the sauce… (use sticks to stir in a circle)
Spread, spread, spread the sauce… (roll one stick on the ground using 2nd)
Grate, grate, grate the cheese (rub 1 stick down the other)
[Chop some veggies/pepperoni, anything you like]
Chop, chop, chop-chop-chop (tap 1 stick on horizontal 2nd)
[Put it in the oven, set timer, let’s go for a walk!]
Lou, lou, skip to my lou… (swing arms with sticks in them)
[Ding, the timer went off! Our pizza is ready, take it out of the oven. Cut a slice, in a triangle, then eat it]
Source: Harbor Preschool Music YouTube

Flannel/Clapping Song: P-I-Z-Z-A (FT)
(tune of B-I-N-G-O)
There is a treat that’s good to eat and pizza it its name-a
P-I-Z-Z-A! P-I-Z-Z-A! P-I-Z-Z-A!
And pizza is its name-a
(spoken) Oh yum! I’m gonna eat one!

There is a treat that’s good to eat and pizza it its name-a
(clap)-I-Z-Z-A! (clap)-I-Z-Z-A! (clap)-I-Z-Z-A!
And pizza is its name-a
(Continue until you are clapping all the letters.)
Credit: Jen in the Library

I used Jen in the Library’s post as a template, but decided to make my pizza slices double-sided, based on the background color of my felt board. The opposite side of the full slice looked like just the pizza crust that was gnawed on, effectively becoming a placeholder for our claps. I like the way it turned out!

We’ve eaten some pizza, now my body is asking for a little movement.
Action Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes (TT) (TB) (FT)
(start slow and repeat, speeding up)
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes (knees and toes!)
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes (knees and toes!)
Eyes and ears and a mouth and nose!
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes (knees and toes!)
Source: traditional

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Craft: Pizza Pretend Play Kit
I gave everyone the option to either glue down their pieces to make an actual craft, or to pick out pieces to put in a little baggie to “make” pizzas at home for their families. The toppings were just foam shapes we had – I cut down much larger pieces into smaller pieces that were either square or triangular or thin strips based on what ingredient they represented. The sauce is a wavy shape of construction paper, and the cheese is short pieces of yarn. Craft idea adapted from Storytime Katie..

Play Time
The toddlers have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Secret Pizza Party – Adam Rubin & Daniel Salmieri
How to Eat Pizza – Jon Burgerman
Pizza Day – Melissa Iwai
Every Night Is Pizza Night – J. Kenji López-Alt & Gianna Ruggiero
Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) – Philemon Sturges & Amy Walrod
The Pizza That We Made – Joan Holub & Lynne Cravath
Pizza Pig – Diana Murray & Maria Karipidou
Little Nino’s Pizzeria – Karen Barbour
The Princess and the Pizza – Mary Jane Auch & Herm Auch
Pete the Cat & the Perfect Pizza Party – Kimberly & James Dean

This storytime was presented in-person on 3/13, 3/14, & 3/15/23.

Storytime Handout:

Handout including suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics.

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: Big & Little

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Usually the songs and rhymes that I plan for my Toddler Time (ages 1-2) and my Teddy Bear (ages 2-3.5) sessions are very similar, with just two or three different extension activities that differ between the two. Family Time (ages 0-3.5) is usually a judgement call between the two plans based on the ages that show up. However, because of the books I chose to read, the two plans for this storytime were quite different!

I also was in love with the craft for this week – and I got gasps from the crowd when I revealed my sample both days! It was very simple, but made a BIG impact.

Early Literacy Tip: Children love to talk about how “big” they are. While they’re smaller than many people and things they interact with, they find joy in being bigger than younger siblings or a pet. Their learning and understanding of big and small are important for math readiness as it lays the foundation for understanding and comparing sizes. It sets them up to learn the concepts of less vs. more, smaller than vs. larger than, and equal to. Additionally, the frequent use of vocabulary like “large” and “small,” “big” and “little” helps increase your children’s spatial language.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT)
This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. This week it was arms and chins.

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)

We just had to do this one!
Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Intro: Let’s talk about size. What is big? [spread arms out!] What is little? [pinch fingers together] Can we practice?

I’ve done this one with bubbles, but not with balls. The flannel is super simple, and we do the rhyme three times, then say I have one more to add, now let’s count, and it makes an even 10.
Flannel Rhyme: Little Ball, Big Ball (TT) (TB) (FT)
A little ball (make a circle with your fingers)
A bigger ball (make a larger circle with your hands)
A great big ball I see (make a large circle with your arms)
Can you count the [yellow] balls? 1 – 2 – 3 (make 3 circles again)
Source: Jen in the Library

Flannelboard showing three balls of increasing size in yellow, green, and blue, plus one small pink ball to make ten total.

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)

This is a board book, and I *still* skipped some pages for the wiggly toddler time group!
Read: Big Little by Leslie Patricelli (TT)

book cover for Big Little

Classic storytime book. I got some raised eyebrows and nervous titters from grownups when the squid’s tentacles are hanging out of the whale’s mouth, but everyone liked the twist!
Read: I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry (TB) (FT)

Book cover for I'm the biggest thing in the ocean

The next four activities were only for Toddler Time, then the next two were just for Teddy Bears and Family Time.

I pointed out that we’re doing a small, medium, and large sized jumping animal to reinforce our theme for this one.
Bounce: Grasshopper (TT)
There was a little grasshopper
Always on the jump
Because they never looked ahead
They always went BUMP! (tilt to side, drop between knees, or lift)
Repeat with bunny, kangaroo
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

Action Rhyme: Tall as a Tree (TT)
Tall as a tree (arms over head)
Wide as a house (arms out to the side)
Thin as a pin (arms straight down by side)
And small as a mouse (crouch low)
Source: Dogeared Storytime

The little Folkmanis mouse finger puppet is the cutest, so it’s always exciting to find a new use for her!
Story Rhyme: Little Mousie Brown (TT)
(Index finger is mouse, opposite arm is candlestick)
Up the tall white candlestick
Went little Mousie Brown
But when she got up to the top
She could not get back down
She called for Mama, “Mama, Mama!”
But Mama was in town
So she called for daddy, “Daddy, Daddy!”
But Daddy wasn’t around
So little Mousie curled right up
And rolled right down!
Source: Jbrary

Photo of Folkmanis finger puppet mouse - brown with a white tummy and beige inner ears, with a beige rope tail.
Mousie Brown is the cutest

Rhythm Rhyme: The Elephant (TT)
(stomp feet rhythmically)
Right foot, left foot see me go
I am grey and big and slow
I come walking down the street
With my trunk and my four big feet
(extend arms in front of face, trumpet like an elephant!)
Source: King County (WA) Library System

We did this one every week last summer as part of the Oceans of Possiblities theme, and it was nice to revisit it.
Action Song: A Big Sea Star (TB) (FT)
(tune of A Ram Sam Sam)
A big sea star, a big sea star (stretch arms & legs out)
Little cuddle clam (hug yourself and get small)
and a big sea star (x2)

A pufferfish! (big breath and blow out)
A pufferfish!
Little cuddle clam and a big sea star (x2)
Source: Jbrary

Action Song: Slippery Fish (TB) (FT)
Slippery fish, slippery fish, sliding through
the water, Slippery fish, slippery fish,
Gulp, Gulp, Gulp! Oh, no!
It’s been eaten by …

A jellyfish, a jellyfish, floating in the water …
An octopus, an octopus, squiggling in the water …
A mako shark, a mako shark, lurking in the water …
Humongous whale, humongous whale, spouting in the water… Gulp, Gulp, Gulp – BURP! Excuse me!
Source: Jbrary

Flannelboard for "Slippery fish." Pictured is a small green and blue fish, a pink jellyfish, a gray and pink octopus, a white and pink tuna fish, a gray shark, and a blue whale
I didn’t use the white and pink “tuna fish” this time

Parachute Intro: Let’s get out our biggest prop, the parachute! Let’s practice by lifting it up and down, shaking fast and slow. (TT) (TB) (FT)

Parachute Song: Very, Very Tall (TT) (TB) (FT)
I’m very, very tall (reach up high)
I’m very, very small (reach down low)
Tall!
Small!
Now I’m a little ball (curl up)
Source: Old Town School of Folk Music, from the album Wiggleworms

I mean, I guess it’s big…
Parachute Song: London Bridge (TT) (TB) (FT)
London bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down
London bridge is falling down,
My fair lady.

Build it up with sticks and stones…
Source: traditional

Parachute Song: Parachute Fly
tune of Skip to My Lou
Up, up, up it goes
Down, down, down so low
Raise our parachute to the sky…
Count to 3 and watch it fly!
Spoken:
Up on 1…
Down on 2…
Up on 3, and Fly! (adults release while you gather up the ‘chute)
Source: Gymboree

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Craft: Giant Squid (TB) (FT)
As I said, this was a craft that inspired gasps of delight when revealed, but the elements are really quite simple. I freehand drew a squid’s head on our largest size of blue construction paper (12″ x 18″) and asked a volunteer to trace and cut those out. I also drew large white circles for the eyes and a smile mouth on white construction paper – them being a little wonky really added to the fun look. We had small dark blue stickers for the pupils (black would have worked, too, but I used what I found), and I pre-cut lengths of blue crepe paper streamers for the tentacles. I put out glue sticks, tape, and staplers and let everyone choose what worked well for them, and we ended up with adorable giant squids that in most cases were bigger than the children that made them! I was inspired by a picture I saw on Pinterest from the Share and Remember blog.

Our craft - a blue squid made of construction paper and blue streamers. In full, it measures about 4 feet long

Play Time
The toddlers have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
I’m Not Small – Nina Crews
Tiny Little Fly – Michael Rosen & Kevin Waldron
Who’s the Biggest? – Delphine Chedru
Marta! Big & Small – Jen Arena & Angela Dominguez
Big and Small and In-Between – Carter Higgins & Daniel Miyares
Jump! – Scott M. Fischer
Little Mouse – Alison Murray
You Are (Not) Small – Anna Kang & Christopher Weyant
The Crayola Comparing Sizes Book – Jodie Shepherd
What Will Fit? – Grace Lin
Big and Small with Northwest Coast Native Art – NativeNorthwest.com

This storytime was presented in-person on 3/6, 3/7, & 3/8/23.

Storytime Handout:

Storytime handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: Shadow Tales

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Doing a storytime about shadows is fun and exciting. It’s also a bit logistically difficult. I think I’ve seen others do this theme around Groundhog Day, but I hadn’t actually made that connection in my mind when I scheduled this for late February. I’d done this theme once before, pre-pandemic, and at that time I brought in one of those heavy-duty work lights with the halogen bulbs that have lots of scary warning stickers on them. For several of our rhymes and songs, we’re making motions and looking for our shadows to imitate us. Back then, I was able to put that big light toward the back of the room to shine on the group and project our shadows on the front wall, but I had a lot fewer kids attending then, and their grownups were more fastidious about keeping them within arms length. This time around, the only good place to put it was front and center, and I now have a larger and more mobile group. I just didn’t feel comfortable with that setup. I had a desk lamp I was able to use for my shadow theater, but it wasn’t a good fit for the wider room. A coworker let me borrow her ring light, but the light was too diffused to throw much of a shadow. Instead, we made do. I had a few flashlights, and when I lowered the main lights, there were still some can lights on the ceiling that stayed on and we were able to throw some shadows on the floor.

All that to say – it was still totally worthwhile to do, even with all the technical difficulties! Just lowering lights in storytime is fun and exciting, and a shadow made with a handheld flashlight still demonstrates the science, even if not everyone can see their distinct shadow at the same time.

Early Literacy Tip: Sharing nonfiction titles, even in an abbreviated way, helps introduce your child to new concepts, vocabulary, and general knowledge of the world around them. You can look at the pictures and read captions or paraphrase the “big ideas” of a book to create an age-appropriate experience with a factual book on a subject like shadows.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT)
This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. This week it was knees and noses.

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)

Intro: Today we’re talking about shadows! A shadow is a dark spot that is made when light shines past something solid, like us! Let’s make some shadows on the walls. I’m going to lower the overhead lights and turn on this bright light behind us. Can you see our shadow on the wall? [This ended up being floor!]

I usually use this rhyme as a “filler,” but since it makes some nice big movements, it was a good option to do and see our shadow selves doing as well.
Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Read: Share individual pages from What Makes Shadow by Clyde Robert Bulla & June Otani. This is where I shared our literacy tip.

Book cover of What Makes a Shadow?

Let’s try this rhyme and see what our shadows do.
Action Rhyme: My Shadow Movements (TT) (TB) (FT)
If I walk, my shadow walks
If I run, my shadow runs
And when I stand still, as you can see
My shadow stands beside me
When I hop, my shadow hops
When I jump, my shadow jumps
And when I sit still, as you can see
My shadow sits beside me
Source: Johnson County (Kansas) Library (link no longer functional)

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Instead of reading a book here, I performed the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff using shadow puppets. I just improvised the traditional story on memory, but the novelty of the shadow theater was riveting for the little ones and I highly recommend trying this sometime! I found a puppet and scenery template for this story at this website and increased the size to fit about 11×17 inches, which fit nicely on the box I used. I liked this story because it only had four characters, and only two were “onstage” at one time, so I felt like I could handle that by myself pretty easily. I watched this Hallmark Channel video as a guide to how to make the theater (the side hole for manipulating the puppets is really helpful.) I didn’t make the box look super nice or fancy, but sketched a little theater outline on the outside with the help of a ruler. You can’t actually see it when it’s dark and the play is going on, so you really don’t need to do that. If you do need a script, there are lots of versions out there, in picture book form as well as by searching for “Billy Goats Gruff Script.”
Shadow Theater: The Three Billy Goats Gruff (TT) (TB) (FT)

Let’s try to retell that story with this rhythm rhyme!
We didn’t use rhythm sticks, but patted our laps and did the hand motions option from Jbrary.
Story Rhyme: Billy Goats Trip Trap (TT) (TB) (FT)
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Across the bridge they come
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Crossing one by one
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Baby takes a stroll
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Over the sleeping troll
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Louder taps I hear
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Middle goat is near
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Stomps the biggest goat
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Troll goes in the moat!
Source: Jbrary (see motions there)

Action Rhyme: Shadow, Shadow (TB)
Shadow, shadow turn around
Shadow, shadow touch the ground
Shadow, shadow dance on your toes
Shadow, shadow touch your nose
Shadow, shadow jump up now
Shadow, shadow take a bow
Shadow, shadow stomp your feet
Shadow, shadow take your seat.
Source: Storytimes and More

You can use pretty much any clip art here, I was inspired by Sunflower Storytime (website now unavailable) and Storytimes and More (link below). I found several of the same images they used. I laminated my printout and also a black piece of cardstock, then cut both out together to make the image and the art. Most are fairly easy, and the kids were excited to tell me each object until the last one, the sandwich on the plate, which was a difficult one. I got some good guesses, like a boat, but they laughed to see the actual picture.
Flannelboard Game: Guess That Shadow (TB) (FT)
I’m a shadow, look at me
Guess whose shadow I might be!
Source: Sunflower Storytime and Storytimes and More

Flannelboard for guess that shadow, showing clipart objects and black "shadows" in the exact shape. Includes a tree, house, bird, cupcake, airplane, and sandwich on a plate with a decorative toothpick sticking out of it.

I wanted them to have the opportunity to try puppet theater, so I made some spider puppets (a die cut spider on a craft stick) and we did the Itsy Bitsy Spider, using our opposite arm as the water spout. With all the lighting issues, only my shadow really made it on the wall, but we sang through it twice and I told them this will look amazing on their bedroom wall tonight with their grownup helping with a flashlight. They all loved that they were allowed to take their spiders home.
Fingerplay: The Itsy Bitsy Spider (TT) (TB) (FT)
The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out!
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again
Source: traditional

Spider puppet showing a black spider die cut taped to a craft stick.

I didn’t actually play this for any of the storytime sessions, we just ran too long. But it’s a good one if you do have time.
Ukulele Song: Mr. Sun
Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Please shine down on me
Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Hiding behind a tree

These little children are asking you
To please come out so we can play with you

Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Please shine down on me
Source: Raffi (from the album Singable Songs for the Very Young)

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Mr. Sun” here!

thumbnail of Mr. Sun ukulele songsheet

Another optional activity, which I didn’t use (or even plan to use), but I did include on my handout, is the classic Sesame Street video of Grover and his Furry Little Shadow.
Video: My Furry Little Shadow
Source: Sesame Street

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Craft: Shadow Tracing (TB) (FT)
I encouraged grownups to use their phone’s flashlight feature or one of my traditional flashlights (I had about four available) to cast a shadow on a piece of paper using one of our farm animal toys or plastic trucks, then the kids could trace the shadow. ALTERNATELY, since I understand that this is on the higher skill spectrum for this age, they could just draw and color whatever they wanted. I had about half and half, so it was good to have both options out there. No original picture for this one, just a borrowed one from the site that inspired the idea, the Dad Lab.

Photo showing a preschooler tracing the shadow of a toy horse on a white sheet of paper.
Image from The Dad Lab

Play Time
The toddlers have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Shadows – April Pulley Sayre & Harvey Stevenson
The Three Billy Goats Gruff – Jerry Pinkney
I Love My Shadow – Hans Wilhelm
Groundhug Day – Anne Marie Pace & Christopher Denise
Shadow – Suzy Lee
Groundhog’s Runaway Shadow – David Biedrzycki
Footprints and Shadows – Ann Dodd & Henri Sorensen
Maisy Goes Camping – Lucy Cousins
Moonbear’s Shadow – Frank Asch
The Night World – Mordicai Gerstein
Shadows and Reflections – Tana Hoban

This storytime was presented in-person on 2/20, 2/21, & 2/22/23.

Storytime Handout:

Handout with suggested books rhyme and song lyrics.

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: Farm Friends

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Who doesn’t love mooing and oinking and clucking and neighing? Farm animals are a theme with so many options and resources – the hard part is choosing which songs, rhymes, activities, and books to present!

Although I only read Farmyard Beat in the Toddler Time session, I decided to do rhythm sticks as our prop this week in all the classes. I didn’t find a great transition as to how it related to the farm, but this was a new prop and the kids were all excited to try them out regardless of the theme.

Early Literacy Tip: Imitating animal noises is a great way for kids to practice making language sounds and developing sound meaning. Animal sounds also help children hear the smaller sounds in words, which is good for when they are starting to sound out words to read.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT)
This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle.

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (FT)

Intro: I got out the “barn” that I made from a cardboard box spray painted red. What is this? It’s a barn! Where might we see a barn? On a farm. And who lives in a barn? Farm animals!

red barn box with white X details on the top and bottom "doors", with a split showing on the top door where it opens in the middle.

As we sang “on that farm he had a…” I popped out an animal from the barn doors, to much delight.
Puppet Song: Old MacDonald had a Farm (TT) (TB) (FT)
Old MacDonald had a farm, E – I – E – I – O!
And on that farm he had a dog, E – I – E – I – O!
With a woof, woof here, and a woof, woof there
Here a woof, there a woof, everywhere a woof, woof!
Old MacDonald had a farm, E – I – E – I – O!
Source: traditional

a pig puppet peeking out from the top portion of the barn box, which opens like a saloon door on the top half of the box.

One of my favorites! The graphics for the flannelboard come from the now-defunct Sunflower Storytime. Since the website is no longer available either in its original form or through the Internet Archive, I’m uploading my copy for you.
Flannel/Fingerplay: Ten Fluffy Chicks (TT) (TB) (FT)
Five eggs and five eggs, and that makes ten
Sitting on top is Mother Hen
Cackle, cackle, cackle (clap, clap, clap)
What do I see?
Ten fluffy chicks, as cute as can be
Source: Mel’s Desk

Download Sunflower Storytime’s printable here!

I thought this was really fun! When I did a search for the song to get the King County link, I learned that this was a Glenn Miller song.
Fingerplay: Boogie Woogie Piggy (TT) (FT)
This little piggy went to market (pinky)
This little piggy stayed home (ring)
But this little piggy is the boogie woogie piggy (thumb, waves back and forth)
and he boogie-woogied all the way home!

Oink, oink, oink, oink, oink,
boogie woogie piggy (x3) (use thumb to pull up nose on the oinks, then dance that piggy!)
And he boogie woogied all the way home!

This little piggy had roast beef (middle)
This little piggy had none (index)
But this little piggy is the boogie woogie piggy (thumb)
and he boogie-woogied all the way home!
(repeat Oink, oink, oink chorus)
Source: King County (WA) Library System

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Read: Farmyard Beat by Lindsey Craig & Marc Brown (TT)

farmyard beat book cover

This was an absolute hit – the kids could finish the sentences for most of the farm noises, then I got to yell BOO!
Read: Cows Go Boo! by Steve Webb & Fred Blunt (TB) (FT)

cows go boo book cover

Rhythm Sticks Intro – Do you have the beat? Let’s make our own beat with rhythm sticks! (I did a little “er, this fit with the other book I read, let’s just have fun with this” in the two sessions that didn’t follow Farmyard Beat.) Practice: Lay them on your shoulders, tap fast & loud, tap soft & quiet, rub them together, roll them in a circle.

Rhythm Stick Song: Count the Beat (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Wheels on the Bus)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10
8 9 10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8… 9… 10!
Source: Sarah French

Rhythm Stick Song: This Is the Way We Tap (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush)
This is the way we tap our sticks
Tap our sticks, tap our sticks
This is the way we tap our sticks
At our storytime
(repeat with different motions: rub, tap them soft, tap the floor, tap our shoes, roll our sticks, tap them loud, etc)
Source: Sarah French

This was a little trickier, since they had to wait with their sticks on their shoulders until the last line, when they could do the action. I saved it for my oldest group.
Rhythm Stick Song: If You Have Some Rhythm Sticks (TB)
(tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb)
If you have some rhythm sticks, rhythm sticks, rhythm sticks
(keep sticks on shoulders until last line)
If you have some rhythm sticks,
You can tap them now (tap!)
(repeat with different motions: rub, hammer, drum)
Source: Sarah French

Recorded Song: Tap Your Sticks by Hap Palmer (TT) (TB) (FT)
from the album Rhythms on Parade
see the video: https://youtu.be/M-UKTeWNgOk

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Craft: Muddy Pig Painting (TB) (FT)
This was another craft from the Sunflower Storytime blog (I miss it!) I printed the pig template on pink paper and asked a volunteer to cut them out. The kids glued them down, then used cotton balls to get the pig dirty with brown paint. Again, since Sunflower Storytime is no longer with us, I’m uploading the template!

Download the pig template here!

pink pig on green construction paper, with splotches of brown paint all over it.

Play Time
The toddlers have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Go Sleep in Your Own Bed! – Candace Fleming & Lori Nichols
Old MacDonald Had a Farm – Jane Cabrera
Five Fuzzy Chicks – Diana Murray & Sydney Hanson
On the Farm – David Elliott & Holly Meade
Barnyard Banter – Denise Fleming
Big Red Barn – Margaret Wise Brown & Felicia Bond
Farm Lullaby – Karen Jameson & Wednesday Kirwan
The Greedy Goat – Petr Horáček
Color Farm – Lois Ehlert
Skip to My Moo – Iza Trapani & Maddie Frost

This storytime was presented in-person on 2/6, 2/7, & 2/8/23.

Storytime Handout:

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: Keeping Warm (Warm Clothing)

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Although I did a “snow” theme a couple of weeks ago, I still had activities and ideas I couldn’t fit into that program and which followed more of a theme of warm winter clothing.

I think I overplanned a bit for this session, and we skipped several things I had on my list, but it’s better to have too much material than too little. My third session was the one I was planning to retell Froggy Gets Dressed in, but – ironically enough – we had some snow and ice and cancelled programming that day!

Early Literacy Tip: Songs that focus on body parts increase children’s awareness of how different parts of their body can start specific movements. By using their muscles to make the motions in the song, children develop both their gross motor skills and body self-awareness.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB)**

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB)
This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle.

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT)

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big*

Intro: When it’s cold outside we need to dress warmly – did anyone wear their Coat today? Hat/boot/mitten/scarf/etc.

Bounce: Bumpin’ Up and Down in My Little Blue Sled (TT) (TB)
Bumping up and down in my little blue sled
Bumping up and down in my little blue sled
Bumping up and down in my little blue sled
Won’t you be my darling? (lift)

Hit a rock and we all fell over… (lean to sides)
Source: adapted from the traditional

Let’s come inside to drink something hot. Ready to put the kettle on?
Action Song: I’m a Little Teapot (TT) (TB)
I’m a little teapot, short and stout
Here is my handle (crook one hand to hip)
Here is my spout (hold other hand out to side)
When I get all steamed up then I shout:
“Tip me over and pour me out!” (tilt body to the side of the spout)
Source: traditional

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB)

I think this is more entertaining for the adults than for the kids, but it’s cute and quick and goes through several winter clothing choices.
Read: Under My Hood I Have a Hat by Karla Kuskin & Fumi Kosaka (TT)

Book cover for Under My Hood I Have a Hat

A newer book about a bundled-up turkey who gives away his warm clothes to friends on the farm. Lots of funny puns and silly illustrations!
Read: Cold Turkey by Corey Rosen Schwartz, Kirsti Call, & Chad Otis (TB)

book cover for Cold Turkey

Fingerplay: Warm Mittens (TT) (TB)
I wiggle my left hand, I wiggle my right
Inside of my mittens so warm and so tight
I wiggle my pinkie, I wiggle my thumbs
So when I make snowballs My hands don’t get numb!
Source: Adventures of a Bookworm

This was one of the songs that I skipped for time purposes. Another reason is that I hadn’t really worked out what motions to pair with the song, which made it feel awkward to me. If I figure it out, I’ll gladly try again – I am a fan of the My Bonnie tune!
Song: My Sweater
(tune of My Bonnie)
My sweater is warm and cozy
My sweater is warm and dry
When I play in very cold weather
Oh bring me a sweater to wear
Oh bring me, bring me,
Oh bring me a sweater to wear, to wear
Bring me, bring me, oh bring me my sweater to wear
Source: Johnson County (KS) Library

This was a fun alternative to the usual tune of Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, with a little built-in anticipation and silliness!
Action Song: Hat, Coat, Pants, and Boots (TT) (TB)
(tune of London Bridge)
Hat, coat, pants, and boots (touch head, shoulders, knees, and toes)
Pants and boots, Pants and boots
Hat, coat, pants, and boots
Mittens… (wiggle hands) Earmuffs! (hands over ears)
(repeat, changing the last item to other clothing or accessories, including silly ones – scarf, glasses, bow tie, umbrella, etc)
Source: adapted from Storytime Secrets

This probably should have been done earlier, maybe before the book – it didn’t flow very well in this spot.
Bounce: Baby’s in a Bundle (TT)
Baby’s in a bundle
Baby’s very warm
Baby’s very happy
In the snowstorm
Source: Handley Regional Library System (VA)

I was pretty excited to do this one, but we ended up not having time in the Teddy Bear session, and Family Time was cancelled for weather. I printed and laminated the Froggy and clothing pieces from Kizclub.com (they have lots of great resources!). I enlarged it to fit 11×17″ instead of 8.5×11″, and that seemed like a better size for a flannel for everyone to see. After laminating, I attached velcro dots to hold the clothing in place according to the story. To help them blend in, I colored the velcro with different Sharpie markers, and was pleased at how well they are hidden. This is definitely going to come out again in the future!
Retelling: Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London & Frank Remkiewicz

Download my story cheat sheet here

Ukulele Song: Fuzzy Wuzzy Blanket (TT) (TB)
(tune of the Oscar Mayer jingle)
Oh I wish I were a fuzzy wuzzy blanket
That is what I’d truly like to be
‘Cause if I were a fuzzy wuzzy blanket
Everyone would snuggle up with me!

Additional verses:
…fuzzy wuzzy beanie…
…fuzzy wuzzy scarf…
…pair of fuzzy mittens…
Source: Book Besotted Librarian Blog

Click here for a ukulele songsheet of this tune (words are for Pepperoni Pizza)

thumbnail of "I Wish I Were a Pepperoni Pizza" ukulele songsheet

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Craft: Warm Hat Suncatcher (TB)
Inspired by this mitten project at Kinder Craze, I took a look at our library’s die cut designs and realized we had a winter hat die. This was better than mittens since I’d only have to cut out one per kid, and it would use less contact paper. I made an outline for the brim and the main body of the hat and asked volunteers to cut it out, then stuck the outline on a piece of contact paper, replacing the backing paper until we were ready to craft. I then provided tissue squares and another piece of contact paper to seal it all up. I relied on grownups to cut out the shape, punch a hole, and string some yarn through for a hanger. It was a bit more intensive craft, but everyone enjoyed piecing the tissue paper and making colorful designs for their hats. Again, our Family Time program was cancelled due to weather, so I packaged up the materials for that group and offered it in the next week as a Take and Make packet.

Play Time
The toddlers have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Three Little Kittens – Barbara McClintock
Lost. Found. – Marsha Diane Arnold & Matthew Cordell
Extra Yarn – Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen
A Sled for Gabo – Emma Otheguy & Ana Ramírez González
Not Now, Cow – Tammi Sauer & Troy Cummings
A Hat for Minerva Louise – Janet Morgan Stoeke
Winter Babies – Kathryn O Galbraith & Adela Pons
Winter is the Warmest Season – Lauren Stringer
Sweater Weather – Matt Phelan

This storytime was presented in-person on 1/23 & 1/24/23.

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: Let it Snow

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Regular storytimes are back! After a couple week’s break over the winter holidays, we’re back for a new year, with a few tweaks to the Itty Bitty programs at my library. I took the plunge and have started a program for pre-walking babies, who had been lumped together with toddlers in the past. It’s new for me, so I spent a lot of those three weeks off (and some time earlier, too…) figuring out what and how I’ll do things differently now that the age groups I’m serving have shifted a bit.

I’ll do a separate blog post for that baby program, but shifting there also means that one of my other programs has also shifted. What used to be “Book Babies” is now “Toddler Time” serving kids ages 1-2. The other two sessions remain the same: “Teddy Bears” is ages 2-3.5, and “Family Time” still serves 0-3.5. My resolution this year was was to expand my repertoire by incorporating some new hands-on props beyond shaker eggs and scarves – instruments, rhythm sticks, ribbon bracelets, etc. I jumped in with two feet by starting with the parachute!

In the past I’d been hesitant to incorporate parachute play where we had very mobile three-year-olds in the same room as crawlers or unsteady walkers. Separating them (in most classes) means I feel better about using the parachute with both groups.

You may also notice that there aren’t a ton of activities marked (TT) – that group was super wound up this week! I didn’t do half of what I’d planned, but we got out the parachute and they enjoyed that, and they spent a little extra time during free play, so it all evened out.

This week was a very common January theme, snow. We danced like snowflakes and made a blizzard with the parachute and some cotton balls, too!

Early Literacy Tip: Seeing patterns and trying to recognize things that are alike and things that are different is a fun game for children. Such activities help them develop the mathematical concepts of patterns and relationships.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT)
This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. This week was knees and cheeks.

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (FT)

Intro: This is the season for snow! Does anyone like to play in the snow? Let’s pretend it’s snowing right now.

Action Song: Watch the Snowflakes (TT) (TB) FT)
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Watch the snowflakes, Watch the snowflakes
Floating down, Floating down
Oh so very slowly, Oh so very slowly
To the ground, To the ground
(repeat: from so very high, quickly, twirly)
Source: Jen in the Library

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Read: Mouse’s First Snow by Lauren Thompson & Buket Erdogan (TT) (FT)

book cover for Mouse's First Snow, showing little mouse next to a mouse made of snow.

This is such a beautiful book, with stunning crisp photographs and a very simple, lyrical text. This group was fascinated. Bonus, it’s by an Indiana author!
Read: Best in Snow by April Pulley Sayre (TB)

book cover for best in snow, showing a bluejay sitting on a snowy branch

I loved that Mouse got to do lots of fun things in the snow, like sledding! Here’s a rhyme about sledding.
Rhyme: Here’s a Hill (TT)
Here’s a hill (tilt one arm diagonally)
And here’s a hill (tilt other arm diagonally)
All covered with snow (wiggle fingers downward)
I’ll put on my coat, (mime putting a coat on)
And jump on my sled (hold the rope of a sled)
And ZOOM, down the hill I go! (clap, slide hands)
Source: Storytime Katie

For this one, we really emphasized going slow at the beginning, and fast at the end.
Bounce: Sledding (TT) (FT)
(tune of Row Your Boat)
Crunch, crunch, Crunch, crunch, crunch (sway slowly)
Up the hill so slow
Sliding, sliding, Sliding, sliding (bounce quickly)
Down the hill we go!
Source: Yogibrarian

I think it’s getting ready to snow again!
Action Song: A Snowy Sky (TB) (FT)
(tune of A Ram Sam Sam)
A big white sky, A big white sky
Snowflakes falling from a big white sky
A big white sky, A big white sky
Snowflakes falling from a big white sky
A winter breeze – BRRR!
A winter breeze – BRRR!
And snowflakes falling from a big white sky!
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

I see some colors through the snow.
Flannel Activity: Colors in the Snow (TB) (FT)
Based on this post by Abby Johnson on the ALSC Blog (and in turn, inspired by Mel’s Desk!), we looked at some colorful shapes.
The idea is to lay out several shapes of one color, saying something like, “I see a white snowflake. And a white cloud. And a white rabbit. And a white pumpkin!” The kids will likely correct you that no, that is an ORANGE pumpkin, thank you very much. Then you start again with orange things, messing up at the end of each line. When all your items are out, you can say you see something that has all those colors, what could it be? A snowman!
My shapes were mostly die cuts, though I did search for a few shapes online like the cat, crow, cloud, rabbit, and leaf.

colors in the snow felt. Shapes in different colors are lined in a grid shape: white: snowflake, cloud, rabbit orange: pumpkin, butterfly, leaf black: cat, bat, crow red: ladybug, apple, fire truck a snowman with a black hat, orange nose and red scarf sits to the side.

I was so enamored with this snowman with his jaunty eyebrows that I copied it exactly from Storytime in the Stacks!
Flannel/Puppet Rhyme: A Chubby Little Snowman (TB) (FT)
A chubby little snowman
Had a carrot nose
Along came a bunny,
And what do you suppose?
That hungry little bunny,
Looking for some lunch
Ate that snowman’s nose,
With a nibble, nibble, crunch!
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

Chubby Little Snowman felt and puppet - the snowman's nose has been caught by the pink bunny puppet, who holds the carrot shape. The snowman felt is just the head, with eyes, a mouth and eyebrows.

This is a very catchy tune – fair warning, it’s been stuck in my head all week!
Action Song: Once there Was a Snowman (FT)
Once was there was a snowman, a snowman, a snowman
Once there was a snowman – Tall, tall, tall!
In the sun he melted, he melted, he melted
In the sun he melted – Small, small, small!
Source: Jbrary

Parachute Time!
We started by practicing a bit, lifting up and down, shaking fast and shaking slow

After one repetition through this song, I threw a couple of handfuls of cotton balls in the middle – fun! After a couple of songs when most of them had “jumped” off, we took a short break to collect them and throw them back in the middle. After Parachute Fly, I asked the kids to find and bring up the scattered cotton balls, which they were very happy to do.
Parachute Song: Snowflake in the Sky (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Twinkle, Twinkle)
Snowflake, snowflake in the sky,
Love to watch you floating by
Down you fall upon the ground,
Down you fall without a sound
Snowflake, snowflake in the sky,
Love to watch you floating by
Source: Jbrary

I accidentally planned two songs that use Frère Jacques. Oops.
Parachute Song: Dance Like Snowflakes (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Dance like snowflakes, Dance like snowflakes
In the air, in the air
Whirling twirling snowflakes, Whirling twirling snowflakes
Everywhere, everywhere
Source: Jbrary

I watched a bunch of YouTube videos of using parachutes with kids to prepare, and saw this song used by several Gymboree classes. It seems like a good one for putting the parachute away. Hopefully in time I can teach the adults to actually let go at the end – this first time took us a couple tries!
Parachute Song: Parachute Fly (TT) (TB) (FT)
tune of Skip to My Lou
Up, up, up it goes
Down, down, down so low
Raise our parachute to the sky…
Count to 3 and watch it fly!
Spoken:
Up on 1…
Down on 2…
Up on 3, and Fly!
Source: Gymboree

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Craft: Puffy Snow Paint (TB) (FT)
Sometimes it’s nice to do a messy craft – it may inspire some families to try it at home, and it might be the one chance kids from more fastidious families might have to be messy! This really cool puffy paint is easy to make, stores easily in between uses, and dries actually puffy. It’s made with equal (ish) parts foam shaving cream and white school glue. I mixed and kept it in a large zip-top bag with the air squeezed out, and it stayed good for 3 days. There was white chalk to draw with as well, and I free-hand cut out some small black circles and orange triangles in case they wanted to make snowpeople. Fun and cute!

craft showing snowflakes drawn on black construction paper with white chalk, and a snowman made of white puffy paint with two black paper eyes, three black paper buttons, and a orange paper nose.

Play Time
The toddlers have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
The Snowman Shuffle – Christianne Jones & Emma Randall
In the Snow – Sharon Phillips Denslow & Nancy Tafuri
Winter Is Here – Kevin Henkes & Laura Dronzek
One Snowy Morning – Kevin Tseng & Dana Wulfekotte
The Snowy Day – Ezra Jack Keats
A Big Bed for Little Snow – Grace Lin
In My Anaana’s Amautik – Nadia Sammurtok & Lenny Lishchenko
Making a Friend – Tammi Sauer & Alison Friend
Ten on the Sled – Kim Norman & Liza Woodruff
Over & Under the Snow – Kate Messner & Christopher Silas Neal

This storytime was presented in-person on 1/9, 1/10, & 1/11/23.

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books, rhymes and song lyrics

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5